Unit rationale, description and aim
The mission of the Church is to evangelise, calling all the baptised to witness to the Gospel through word and action. This unit invites postgraduate students to explore the theological foundations, historical development, and contemporary expressions of evangelisation within the Catholic tradition. Drawing on key Church teachings from Vatican II until the present day, students will engage with themes such as personal witness, kerygma, intentional discipleship, mission, synodality, and the role of charisms.
Throughout the unit, students will examine contemporary approaches to evangelisation, including the use of digital media and the contribution of ecclesial movements. A distinctive feature of the unit is the Porta Fidei retreat, which offers an experiential opportunity for personal faith formation through prayer, vocational reflection, and participation in the sacramental life.
Students will also explore the principles and practices that underpin Catholic spiritual growth—such as Scripture, prayer, sacraments, community, and service—and reflect on the qualities and styles of faith leadership needed for evangelisation in diverse ministry contexts.
The aim of this unit is to deepen students’ understanding of evangelisation in its theological richness and contemporary relevance, as articulated in Church documents and lived experience. Through critical reflection and experiential learning, students will discern how evangelisation is embodied in ministry and how they might lead others in this mission.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Critically analyse the Church’s teaching on the es...
Learning Outcome 01
Reflect on approaches to faith formation that nurt...
Learning Outcome 02
Critically assess the relationship between communi...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
· The Catholic Church’s teaching on evangelisation: Exploring theological foundations, key magisterial documents and the relationship between communion and mission.
· Faith formation in evangelisation: Approaches to faith formation including encounter, accompaniment and intentional discipleship.
· Spiritual foundations of evangelisation: The role of prayer, Scripture, community, sacraments and service; discernment and charisms in fostering the spiritual journey of faith.
· Contemporary methods and expressions: Skills in sharing the faith, evangelisation programs and apostolates, music, digital media and storytelling; expressions through ecclesial movements.
· Contemporary themes in evangelisation: Including synodality, intercultural dialogue, ecological conversion and the role of charisms.
· Faith leadership for evangelisation: Exploring the qualities, styles and formation of leaders who foster evangelising communities in education and pastoral contexts.
· Catholic faith life experience: Reflection and application to teaching and/or ministry, including retreat and experiential components.
Assessment strategy and rationale
To successfully complete this unit, students need to complete and submit all assessment tasks and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50/100.
The assessment strategy is designed to support progressive development of students’ theological knowledge, critical understanding and analytical skills. It enables students to evaluate how foundational and contemporary expressions of Christian education contribute to the development of communities of faith, with a particular focus on faith formation and evangelisation.
In order to develop this knowledge and skill the first assessment task consolidates key theoretical and contextual understandings through synthesising factual and conceptual knowledge in an extended written response. The second task requires students to apply their understanding by participating in a series of Catholic faith life experiences and reflecting on this in the light of Church documents, scholarly literature and various styles of faith leadership required for leading in evangelisation and mission.
This assessment strategy supports alignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment tasks. It’s responsive to the diverse vocational contexts of students and encourages both academic rigour and personal formation.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Extended Writing Task Criti...
Assessment Task 1: Extended Writing Task
Critically analyse the theological foundations and processes of evangelisation within the Catholic tradition. Drawing on key magisterial documents, scholarly literature and contemporary developments, examine the interrelationship between communion and mission. Evaluate the significance of synodality in shaping contemporary approaches to evangelisation.
2,500 words
50%
Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection This is a...
Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection
This is a two-part assessment task. In Part A, students critically reflect upon selected experiences of Catholic life and faith that have nurtured their spiritual awareness and growth. Reflections should be illuminated by reference to relevant Church documents and/or contemporary theological literature. (2000 words)
In Part B, students outline key characteristics of faith leadership required for contemporary evangelisation. (500 words)
2,500 words
Students complete the assessment in Cadmus
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered in multi-mode and employs an active learning approach to support students in exploring the knowledge, skills and experiences associated with educating others in the Catholic Christian tradition, particularly through the Church’s essential mission of evangelisation. Students have the opportunity to attend webinars-seminars to participate in the construction and synthesis of this knowledge. This flexibility is designed to accommodate students who are predominantly engaged in full-time professional work.
A key component of the unit is the Porta Fidei Retreat, named after the apostolic letter by Pope Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei (2011). The retreat includes presentations by Catholic educators and leaders concerning the core content of the faith (the kerygma) and the transformative power of encountering Christ. The retreat includes testimonies by credible witnesses and engage in sacramental life. The retreat is designed to deepen personal faith and respond to the Church’s call to evangelisation.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total across the semester. To meet the learning outcomes students are encouraged to engage in the full range of learning activities and assessments which include reading, reflection, discussion, webinars, video content, seminars and written assignments.
Representative texts and references
REPRESENTATIVE TEXTS AND REFERENCES
Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. (2023). Evangelisation: Encounter, discipleship, mission. National Centre for Evangelisation. Retrieved from https://nce.catholic.org.au/people-of-god/evangelisation-encounter-discipleship-mission
Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry. (2025). Gifted for the mission: An introduction to charisms. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Retrieved from https://www.catholic.au/s/article/gifted-for-the-mission
Barker, K. MGL (2018). Go set the world on fire: A New Evangelisation. Connor Court Publishing.
Barron, R. (2020). Renewing our hope: Essays for the new evangelisation. Catholic University of America Press.
Cantalamesso, R. OFM Cap (2014). Navigating the new evangelisation. Boston: Pauline Books and Media.
Hahn, S. (2014). Evangelising Catholics: A mission manual for the new evangelisation. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor.
Hahnenberg, E. P. (2014). Theology for ministry: An introduction for lay ministers. Liturgical Press.
University of Mary, & Shea, J. P. (2020). From Christendom to apostolic mission: Pastoral strategies for an apostolic age. University of Mary Press.
McEvoy, J. (2024). Evangelisation and Contemporary Culture. Dublin: Veritas Publications.
Weddell, S A. (2012) Forming intentional disciples: The path to knowing and following Jesus. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor.
Willits, G. (2023). The New Evangelization and You: Be Not Afraid. New ed. Blue Sparrow Books.
Woods, P. (2024). Waves of Grace: Evangelisation in Catholic Schools (1st ed). Catholic Schools Youth Ministry International & ACU La Salle Academy.
Church Documents
Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975) [Encyclical letter]. Retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19751208_evangelii-nuntiandi.html
Pope John Paul II, Christifideles Laici (1988) [Apostolic Exhortation]. Retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (2013) [Apostolic Exhortation]. Retrieved from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html